ONE of the most memorable sights of days gone by is set to be brought back to life with a new sculpture that will stand proudly in Sunderland city centre in a moving tribute to the brewery that once stood there.

The sculpture of a Vaux waggon pulled by two dray horses, has been designed by sculptor Ray Lonsdale who designed Seaham's much loved Tommy statue and the recently unveiled sculpture in Hetton-le-Hole entitled Da said Men Don’t Cry.

The waggon and horses have been commissioned by Sunderland City Council's development company as part of plans for the former Vaux brewery site, which will see it developed for office accommodation, residential, retail, food and drink, hotel and leisure use.

Plans for the former brewery site, which has space for 19 plots on a 5.5 acre site, are seen as an important part of wider transformation plans for Sunderland city centre.

These will see £0.5bn of private and public investment ploughed into the city centre by 2030, bringing more and better jobs, new spaces to live, and spaces to relax. There are also plans for a new railway station, better connectivity in the form of improved road links and a new footbridge across the river connecting the stadium with the city centre, in addition to new leisure developments and a stronger daytime and night economy.

Councillor John Kelly, cabinet member for communities and culture at Sunderland City Council, said: "The former Vaux brewery holds a very special place in Sunderland people's hearts, from the familiar smell of hops that used to drift over the city to the colourful sight of the dray horses pulling the waggons through the streets.

"So I think it's only right and proper that we should celebrate Vaux's historic past at the same time as we look forward to its exciting future by commissioning this sculpture for the landmark site.

The council has also commissioned two more sculptures from Ray Lonsdale which will pay tribute to the city's shipbuilding heritage. These will be sited on footpaths overlooking the River Wear.

The first is of two workers sat side by side eating their bait as they read about the impending closure of the shipyards.

While the second is based on Ray's own experience of his Dad taking him to see a ship being launched when he was little. It shows a grandfather telling his grandson all about what it was like to see a ship being launched as they sit on a bench overlooking the river. The sculptures, which have been commissioned at a cost of £390,000 will be made from hollow corten steel and manufactured by Ray Lonsdale at his South Hetton workshop.

Speaking about the commission, Mr Lonsdale said: "I am of an age that means I have first hand memories of the Vaux , horse drawn drays touring the streets making their deliveries.

"They are distinct images in my mind and that alone shows their importance in the history of Sunderland to me personally. Everyone who can recall them seems to do so with affection and as a reminder of times when road rage wasn’t as common and life’s pace seemed a little more relaxed. Rose coloured glasses maybe but that’s how it feels." The maquettes are on show at the City Library at the Museum and Winter Gardens in Burdon Road until October.

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